Sunday, October 24, 2010

Angry Arab in the cockpit

I was in the MEA plane on the way to Beirut. I was going out from the restroom to return to my seat. At that point, the co-pilot was emerging from the cockpit. He greeted me warmly and said that he was a big fan. I thanked him. Thereupon, he insisted that I join him in the cockpit. I explained that I have a terrible, multi-dimensional fear of planes and that I would be too nervous and that I may puke on the flight control buttons. I returned to my seat. A flight attendant then came to my seat, and said that the two pilots are insisting that I join them in the cockpit. I proceeded to enter the cockpit, and sat on the third seat behind them. The chair was not comfortable and it does not recline. I expressed displeasure and threatened--yet again--to puke on their devices. The view from the cockpit was so wide but I was too nervous to enjoy. The pilot was then explaining to me how things work and how they know something was wrong. I asked him to not explain how things go wrong, as hard as they both tried to reassure me. As we began our descent on Beirut, i basically closed my eyes completely. The pilot would sometimes turn back toward me to talk, and I would nudge him to look straight ahead and focus on the plane. That is my story.

Comic by Terry Furry, reproduced from "Heard the One About the Funny Leftist?" by Cris Thompson, East Bay Express

As'ad's Bio

As'ad AbuKhalil, born March 16, 1960. From Tyre, Lebanon, grew up in Beirut. Received his BA and MA from American University of Beirut in pol sc. Came to US in 1983 and received his PhD in comparative government from Georgetown University. Taught at Tufts University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Colorado College, and Randolph-Macon Woman's College. Served as a Scholar-in-Residence at Middle East Institute in Washington DC. He served as free-lance Middle East consultant for NBC News and ABC News, an experience that only served to increase his disdain for maintream US media. He is now professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus. His favorite food is fried eggplants.

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